Knocked For Six
by Scandalacious Intentions
Summary: He had been told who the new Defence teacher would be, forewarned he supposed so that he was not surprised when he discovered the truth for himself. However, surprised wasn't the word as Remus Lupin turned to face him. Knocked for six was more like it.


**Disclaimer: J.K. owns all  
****A/N: I started this ages ago and forgot clean about it.**

The light shone out through the crack in the door and the beam illuminated a small fraction of the corridor. So the latest poor sap had taken residence. And then he remembered that 'poor' hinted at sympathy and that was the last thing he felt for the man behind that door. 'Sap' seemed quite apt though.

Smirking to himself, Severus Snape pushed open the door and stepped into a thickly carpeted room with cream walls. On the far left, standing on the bed and reaching up to stack yet more books on the roof of the bookcase, stood the object of such burning hatred that he thought he had reserved only for Potter.

He had been told who the new Defence teacher would be, forewarned he supposed so that he was not surprised when he discovered the truth for himself. However, surprised wasn't the word as Remus Lupin turned to face him. Knocked for six might have been a better turn of phrase.

Naturally, Snape had been angered beyond belief and questioned the sanity of all involved, including Lupin himself. He had exposed the man as a werewolf to the staff who, most having taught him, already knew and cared nothing regardless. He had begged the headmaster to reconsider after Black had escaped allegedly 'unaided' and Dumbledore had had the gall to tell him that "We're lucky to have him then, aren't we?"; a statement that Snape had not taken kindly too.

He was jolted back into the present by Lupin's slight cough and raised eyebrows.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm watching you, Lupin."

One of Lupin's eyebrows remained hidden in his sandy fringe. He stepped down from the bed and stood before his colleague. "You've come to watch me unpack?" He had decided that sarcasm was his best weapon; easy sarcasm was what he did best. It also did wonders to dispel tension although he was sure that somehow it wouldn't work in this instance. "Well I can't promise you it'll be terribly exciting Severus, but I _have _got a fish. He's interesting enough."

Snape's upper lip curled in distaste. "If you think that humor is going to endear you to me, you can think again."

Lupin chose to ignore his remark and flicked several drops of a liquid that looked disturbingly like blood into the bowl. The ugly, purplish black fish rose to the surface and Snape took a step back.

"For my sixth years," Lupin explained. "It's the blood of a mouse," he added, as something of an afterthought. "They prefer human blood but obviously I'm not about to give him that."

Snape smirked. "Dark creatures are your specialty then?"

"Ironic, isn't it?"

Snape raised his eyebrows in response but said nothing.

"Right," said Lupin, clasping his hands together and doing his best to smile. "Well, it's been a long day so if that's all…"

"I'm afraid not."

If this was not the response that Lupin was expecting, he betrayed no hint of surprise. Instead, he managed to smile as though nothing would please him more than a long debate with Severus Snape on the subject of his loyalties.

"Can it not wait until tomorrow?"

Snape ignored him. "If I hear so much as a whisper of Black's name around this castle-"

"Are you accusing me?" asked Lupin, his tone perfectly amiable but his eyes blazed.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Snape told him in a clipped drawl that was far from reassuring.

"Well that's a relief," said Lupin, plastering on a smile. "For a minute there, I almost believed that you were trying to tell me you thought I was trying to kill my best friend's son. Not only that, but it almost sounded like you were accusing me of aiding and abetting a fugitive. I'm glad that's been cleared up."

Snape sneered at him. "I'll be brewing your potion."

That should shut the jammy little tosser up. Did he have the faintest idea what went into a Wolfsbane potion? Remembering Lupin's performance in Potions, no; he probably hadn't a clue. There were some highly poisonous ingredients in there. One slip up and, well, it didn't bear thinking about, obviously.

"That's very good of you," said Lupin, attempting an amiable smile. "I could never quite get my head round it."

Perhaps the response to such a comment should have been, 'Really Remus, how unfortunate', but it didn't have quite as much venom as a simple, "I know."

An awkward silence fell between them. Lupin began to stick up notes and even photographs on the walls with a flick of his wand whilst searching through boxes. "You haven't seen my kettle on your travels, have you?"

Snape raised one eyebrow. "Do you treat all your possessions with such carelessness?"

Lupin smiled. "Well, it's like that when you move, isn't it? Accio Kettle!"

Snape dodged the kettle that flew out of a shabby box and glanced around Lupin's office. He had enough books to induce envy in Madame Pince, enough photographs of his Hogwarts years to rival the school archive and more than enough dark creatures to occupy his students and good grief! Was that a gramophone?

"I wouldn't get too comfortable," he said, smirking as Lupin raised his eyebrows. "No-one's lasted in this post for years and being what you are…" He trailed off, not needing to remind Lupin of the prejudice that had stood in his way for most of his adult life.

Lupin sat at the small desk he had furnished his office and temporary home with, and made himself comfortable. "I thought we'd agreed to put that behind us."

Well he had agreed that alone then. He could put it behind him, of course he could. Lupin had not been bullied throughout school and nor had he been lured to his almost death.

"Oh really?"

"Yes; really. I can acquire a witness statement from Albus, if need be. I propose we try again," said Lupin, extending his hand.

Snape watched him do so. "Goodnight."

He swooped in an almost bat-like fashion, his robes billowing out behind him, out of the office and Lupin lowered his arm. Alright, so if he wanted to be like that then two could play at that game.

"Game on," muttered Lupin, smiling to himself.

He had a whole new plan for that Boggart.


End file.
